The present invention relates to fishing lures and, in particular, to a molded plastic keeper that can be attached to a lure or fishhook to support a variety of lure accessories and/or live bait at a number of surface projections and prevent premature withdrawal.
Numerous devices are available to fisherman to retain dressings, live bait and other accessories to a fishhook or lure. Some fishhooks include barbs or burrs that flare from the shank of the hook. The barbs are formed by peeling or shaving a portion of the shank to extend at a preferred angle. The barbs are formed to resist withdrawal of a dressing or live bait that is mounted over the barbs.
Pegs having a barbed shank and opposite ends that contain a point and an eyelet are available that mount to the eye of a hook or lure. The peg can be inserted into a portion of a dressing accessory, such as a molded plastisol member, which will then trail from the hook. Upon also attaching the barb of the hook to the dressing, the gap between the barb and hook eye can be sheltered to make the hook or lure weedless. Similar pegs are used to secure tippets to braided fly fishing lines.
Molded plastic keeper pegs also exist that have a barbless, elongated, spindle shaped shank, a point at one end and an eyelet at an opposite end, reference U.S. Pat. No. 5,904,001. Hooks that include the foregoing metal and plastic pegs are sold by Mister Twister under the brand names KEEPER HOOK and SMART HOOK.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,630,289 discloses a solid bodied plastic shaft that has a number of barbs that project transverse to the shaft. The barbed member is used to splice and/or to secure dressings to a lure.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,858,367 discloses a keeper peg that is molded into a jig head.
Jigs and lures have also been molded with body parts or appendages that include projecting barbs or a series of conical rings to support a dressing that is threaded over the appendage. Wires with spiral windings and other bend configurations have also been molded into or attached to various lures and hooks to retain desired dressings or live bait.
Wire and bristle weed guards also exist that are typically molded into the body of a lure. The guard typically is mounted to shelter the point of the hook from weeds, yet flex to expose the hook with the occurrence of a fish strike.
The keeper of the present invention was developed to provide a light weight accessory piece that can be adapted to many different lure and hook presentations as a live bait or dressing retainer and/or a weed guard. The retainer comprises an elongated stem that supports a series of conical protrusions that radiate from the stem. A hollow longitudinal bore and/or slot can extend the length of the stem. The keeper can also be molded over a formable wire substrate or the shank of a hook. The keeper can be constructed of a material that shrinks upon exposure to heat or another catalyst. The keeper can also be adapted to cooperate with a floating or weighted headpiece.
It is accordingly a primary object of the invention to provide a molded plastic keeper having a number of projections that radiate from an elongated body or stem.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a keeper having a number of conical projections that extend seriatim along the stem and exhibit differing diameters.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a keeper wherein a hollow bore or slot extends the length of the stem.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a keeper that includes a hollow headpiece that cooperates with the stem.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a keeper that is constructed of a material that shrinks upon exposure to heat or other catalyst and which can be permanently set after being mounted to a lure or hook.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a keeper that is molded over a stranded or solid wire core that can be formed to a preferred shape.
The foregoing and other objects, advantages and distinctions of the invention are obtained in a number of presently preferred keepers. Each keeper includes an elongated stem and relative to a longitudinal axis of which a series of conical or tapered projections radiate. The projections can exhibit the same and/or different diameters and shapes over the length of the stem. In one construction, the keeper is molded to the shank of a hook, jig or lure to support live bait or an artificial dressing that is separately threaded over the shank and keeper. In another construction, the keeper is molded over a wire core that can be formed and mounted to a hook eye or cast into the body of a lure. In another construction, a hollow longitudinal bore and/or slot extends through the keeper. A hook or fish line can be threaded through the bore or the keeper can be mounted by pressing the slot against the support fixture to flex the keeper and fit the fixture in the bore. A portion of one end of the keeper can cooperate with a floating or weighted headpiece that may include a rattle chamber. The keeper can also be molded from a material that shrinks upon exposure to heat or other catalyst. Once positioned onto a support, the keeper can be shrunk to contract about the support
Still other objects, advantages, distinctions and constructions of the invention will become more apparent from the following description with respect to the appended drawings. Similar components and assemblies are referred to in the various drawings with similar alphanumeric reference characters. The description should not be literally construed in limitation of the invention. Rather, the invention should be interpreted within the broad scope of the further appended claims.